Knowra Urtica dioica Urtica dioica Urtica dioica, or stinging nettle, is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Its leaves and stems bear hollow hairs that inject irritating chemicals when touched.
Trichome : A hairlike outgrowth from a plant's epidermis, with roles including defense, secretion, and water regulation. Nettle stinging hairs are defensive trichomes with brittle tips.
Nettle soup : A soup made with nettle leaves, which lose their sting when cooked. Cooking makes the young leaves usable as a nutritious food.
Urticaceae : A family of flowering plants that includes nettles and several tropical genera. Urtica dioica is one member of this plant family.
Urtica urens : A smaller annual nettle species, also called annual nettle or small nettle, with stinging hairs. It is a close relative often confused with Urtica dioica, but is usually annual.
Formic acid : The simplest carboxylic acid, produced naturally by some animals and plants. It is one of several irritating substances historically associated with nettle stings.
Nettle textile : A fabric or yarn made from fibers extracted from nettle stems. The plant's bast fibers have been processed into cloth and cordage.
Perennial plant : A plant that lives for more than two years, often regrowing from persistent roots or stems. Persistent underground growth allows nettle colonies to return season after season.
Lamium album : A flowering plant in the mint family, commonly called white dead-nettle, with nettle-like leaves but no sting. Its resemblance to stinging nettle makes it a useful harmless comparison.
Histamine : A signaling molecule involved in immune responses, stomach acid secretion, and neurotransmission. Histamine in nettle hairs contributes to the skin's response after contact.
Nettle tea : An infusion prepared from nettle leaves, commonly consumed as an herbal drink. Dried leaves are used in infusions as well as cooked dishes.
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